Method and means for fitting caps to tubular containers



,May 31, 1938. D|HTER 2,119,271

METHOD AND MEANS FOR FITTING CAPS TO TUBULAR CONTAINERS Filed Dec. 21, 1954 I)? rental:

Patented May 31,1938

UNITED STATES METHOD AND MEANS FOR FITTING CAPS T TUBULAR CONTAINERS Jakob Dichter, Schoneberg, Berlin, Germany Application December 21, 1934, Serial No. 758,605 In Germany December 22, 1933 8 Claims.

This invention relates to the fitting of caps to tubular containers such as those made of glass, this process being hereinafter referred to as capsuling. In the usual method of capsuling glass vessels, more particularly those which serve for the accommodation of tablets, pills or the like, acap or capsule approximately fitting the glass is arranged to slide firmly upon the latter by bending in or denting the flange portion of said capsule. As such glass vessels are normally made -from glass tubes, the diameters of which vary considerably, this capsuling is a tedious and time-wasting operation which has been hitherto carried out during the manufacture of the containers and prior to filling.

It is the object of the present invention to provide an improved method whereby these disadvantages are overcome, since each individual cap is fitted to its own tube either before or after the filling operation, thus rendering it unnecessary to remove the cap until the contents of the container are about to be used.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved form of apparatus for'efl'ecting the capsuling operation, said. apparatus being simple in construction and comprising in themeferred arrangement means for receiving the'container and capsule and for constricting the edge of the latter when an axial pressure is applied to the head portion of said capsule conveniently by means of a plunger.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved arrangement and construction of automatic apparatus whereby the capsuling operation may be carried out continuously in association, if desired, with means whereby the filled and capsuled containers are labelled or otherwise marked.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which Figures 1 and 2 are diagrammatic sectional elevations showing the elements directly associated with the capsuling operation;

Figure 3 is a part sectional side elevation of a manually operated device;

Figure 4 is a plan corresponding to Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a part sectional diagrammatic side elevation of an automatic type of capsuling machine; I

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic plan corresponding to Figure 5; and

Figure 7 is a diagrammatic elevation of a further modified form of machine arranged to operate upon a plurality of containers simultaneously.

Referring first to Figures 1 and 2, a glass tube indicated at 8 is provided with a loosely fitting metal cap or capsule I0 and is firmly supported within a die 9 having a countersunk or other" tapered hole II. The capsule l0 may be further guided by a plate 13, and in accordance with the invention is pressed axially by means of a plunger l2 so that the margin of the capsule I0 is constricted by the hole H and is caused to fit the tube 8 in a snug manner. This action can be assisted, if desired, by imparting simultaneously a rotating movement to the plunger l2. In Figure 1 said plunger is about to descend, and in Figure 2 it has eifected the constricting operation and is about to be raised forpermitting the removal of the capsuled container 8.

This principle is employed in the machine shown in Figures 3 and 4, which machine comprises a base plate 35 fitted with a fixed vertical pin 36 carrying a body 31 capable'of angular movement. Within this body the plunger i2 is slidably mounted, and is actuated by a lever l9 having a projection 38 which presses upon the upper end of the plunger l2 so as to permit rotation of the latter during the constricting operation. This movement is effected by the engage- 'ment of a pin' 22 carried by a plunger H with a curved slot 23 formed in the body 31, downward movement of the plunger l2 being regulated by a stop screw 20 co-operating with the lever H).

For suitably holding the tubular container 8, the base plate 35 is provided with a set of jaws l5, conveniently three in number, the upper parts M of which constitute a constricting member corresponding to the ring 9 in Figure 1. The jaws l5 are actuated by vertical movement of a sleeve i6 upon a fixed supporting tube 24, this vertical movement being effected by an oblique slot 26 in the tube i6 engaging a fixed pin 25, rotation and hence vertical movement of the tube l6 being effected by angular movement of a radial handle 28 and being controlled by a helical spring I! tending to close the jaws l5; For limiting the extent to which the container 8 is inserted-into the jaws IS, a stop member 39 conveniently bearing upon a compression spring is carried by a central rod l8 mounted in a fixed bracket 40.

- In operation the body 31 is moved out of line with the jaws l5, this movement being arrested by a stopplatell. When a container 8 having a loosely fitting cap I0 is placed within the jaws I 5, the handle 28 is released, thus allowing the spring II to close the jaws and the body 31 is moved into line. Depression of the handle l9 thereupon forces the plunger l2 into contact with the capsule l0. thereby constricting the lower margin of the latter until it grips the container 8 firmly. Upon release of the pressure upon the lever IS the plunger l2 springs upwardly, and after the chuck has been released by the handle 28 the capsuled container-is removed. I

In Figures 5 and 6, the improved principle is applied to a form of automatic machine having four stations indicated at 1, II, IiI and IV in Figure 6; In this case a disc 4|- is rotatably mounted upon a bracket 42, and is intermittently rotated .by a geneva or equivalent mechanism indicated at 43 so that chuck members 44, four in number, stop progressively in register with each of the stations I, II, III and IV. The chuck members 44, which are similar in construction to the corresponding part of the mechanism shown in Figure 3, normally assume their closed condition, but are opened at stations IV and I by the engagement of the handle 28 with a cam rail 45. The stop rods 18 are also mechanically actuated by means of a cam rail 46 so as to eject the finished containers automatically at the station IV, adefiecting plate 41 being provided so that said containers fall on to a delivery chute 48. For operating the plunger 12, the latter is carried by an arm 49 mounted upon a rod 29, the latter being reciprocated vertically by engagement at its lower end with a grooved cam 50. A lateral arm 5| engaging a vertical recess in the bracket 42 prevents rotation of the rod 29.

In the operation of. the machine shown in Figures 5 and. 6, a container and loosely fitting-capsule is fed by hand into each'chuck member as it reaches the station I. At due time as determined by the Geneva mechanism 43 the capsule reaches station II where it is constricted by the plunger l2. After moving to station III, the container is labelled or stamped by any suitable mechanism (not shown), and as the chuck is finally taken to station IV the jaws are opened and the finished container is ejected.

In the modified construction shown in Figure 7 an intermittently driven endless band 52 is provided with a series of sockets 53 into which the containers 8 are fed by means of a plunger mechanism indicated generally at 54. Capsules ID are then fitted to the containers, and as these pass beneatha pair of constricting plungers l2 and Ila, the latter automatically descend, thus operating upon two capsules simultaneously. The depth to which the containers 8 pass into the sockets 53 is determined by a guide or abutment.

55, the delivery end 56 of whichapproaches the curved part of the band so as to expel the finished containers on to a delivery chute 48.

The actual shape of the ring 9 or equivalen part for effecting the constriction of the capsules can, of course, be varied to produce either a uniform constriction, or alternatively a. cormgated or dented effect can be obtained. It is'not essential for the constriction to be effected at the edge of the capsule, as it may also be made at any other part of the curved wall of the latter, either continuously or locally, as for example in a number of sections. By forming the shaping portion 14 of the apparatus in a plurality of portions adapted to accommodate themselves to the diameter of the container 8, a uniform constricting effect is obtained, even where the containers vary in diameter to an excessive amount.

What I claim is:-- i

1. In a method of fitting caps to containers, those steps which consist in placing the cap on the container, constricting the cap while it is in position on the container, and rotating the cap during the constricting operation.

2. In a method of fitting caps on containers, those steps which consist in placing a cap on the container, constricting the marginal portion of the cap while it is in position on the container, and rotating the cap during the constricting operation.

3. In a machine of. the class described, means for supporting a container, means for moving a cap axially of the container to close the open end thereof, means for constricting said cap during the axial movement thereof, and means for effecting relative rotation between the container and the cap during the constricting of the cap.

4. In a machine of the class described, means snugly embracing a container adjacent the open end thereof for supporting the same, said means comprising a plurality of elements movable radially with respect to the container, each of said elements being provided with an arcuate portion tapering outwardly toward the open end of. the container, and means for forcing a cap downwardly over the open end of said container, the

tapering portions acting to constrict the cap during the movement thereof axially of the container.

5. In a machine of the class described, a chuck formed of relatively movable sections adapted to be moved into gripping engagement with a container, a die section associated with each chuck section, said movable sections being adapted when the chuck is closed to firmly grip the container adjacent the open end thereof, said die sections together forming a die having a bore tapering outwardly toward the open end of the container, and means for forcing a cap downwardly over the open end of. said container, the tapering bore of the die acting to constrict the cap during the movement of the cap axially of the container.

6. In a machine of the class described, a chuck comprising a plurality of relatively movable members adapted to grip a container adjacent the open end thereof to support the container during a capping operation, means for moving said chuck to each of a plurality of stations, means for opening said chuck at one of said stations to permit insertion of a container therein, means for closing said chuck after insertion of the container therein, means at another of said stations for moving a cap axially of the container and into engagement with the same, means adjacent said opening means for forcing the capped container upwardly out of the chuck, and a deflecting means for directing the ejected container to a suitable discharge point.

7. In a'machine of the class described, means I snugly embracing a container adjacent the open end thereof for supporting the same, said means comprising a plurality of elements movable radially with respect to the container, each of said elements being provided with 'an arcuate portion tapering outwardly toward the open end of the container, means for forcing a cap downwardly over the open endof said container, the tapering portions acting to constrict the cap during the movement thereof axially of the container, and means for rotating said cap forcing means during constriction of the cap.

8. In a method of fitting bendable skirted metallic caps over cylindrical glass containers, those steps which consist in placing the cap on the container, bending the skirt of the cap to engage the wall of the container while the cap is on the container, and rotating the cap during the bending operation to effect a complete circumferential engagement oi the bent portion of the cap skirt with the container.

JAKOB DICHTER. 

